Trader Joe's reveals the reason behind the 19-cent banana and more in new podcast

Bananas are 19 cents each, thanks to one customer.Bananas were initially sold in bunches, but without scales in the store, that meant the fruit was weighed out and bagged at a warehouse before arriving at a store, with the smallest bag containing about four bananas, according to TJ's CEO and chairman Dan Bane. One day, Bane said he saw an older customer look at the banana display but then move on without picking up a bag. He asked her why she didn’t buy any bananas, to which she replied, “Sonny, I may not live to that fourth banana.” That response spurred the the store to decide the next day to sell individual bananas at 19 cents.

Bananas are 19 cents each, thanks to one customer.Bananas were initially sold in bunches, but without scales in the store, that meant the fruit was weighed out and bagged at a warehouse before arriving at a store, with the smallest bag containing about four bananas, according to TJ's CEO and chairman Dan Bane. One day, Bane said he saw an older customer look at the banana display but then move on without picking up a bag. He asked her why she didn’t buy any bananas, to which she replied, “Sonny, I may not live to that fourth banana.” That response spurred the the store to decide the next day to sell individual bananas at 19 cents.

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The podcast is meant to serve as an insider look at how the grocery store brand works and answers customer questions on why items are discontinued, or why towns are skipped over for a Trader Joe's location.

The podcast also takes listeners inside a meeting of its Tasting Panel, where a group of tasters give opinions on potential new items in (apparently) austere surroundings. The age-old question of why, exactly, bananas are sold at 19 cents each is also addressed.

Scroll through the slideshow above to find out some of the more interesting tidbits from the Trader Joe's podcast, or listen to the episodes in its entirety on the Trader Joe's website or on podcast apps under the name "Inside Trader Joe's."